You don't mind that we're not throw

You don't mind that we're not throwing you a party this year?" Shikamaru asked.

"Nah, 18 is the important birthday. 19 is one of those awkward birthdays that doesn't mean anything incredibly special. I became a man," He pulled a hero pose. "On my birthday last year."

"Really? Didn't you technically become a man on New Year's Eve?" Kiba teased.

Naruto didn't verbally reply, only slapped Kiba on the back of the head. Kiba found himself with his head in his bowl, and could hear the laughter of his friends and other surrounding customers. He lifted his head from his bowl but wouldn't back down.

"Bet you were looking forward to tomorrow night…" He grinned pervertedly. "But sorry to bust your bubble, but Hinata…" He whispered in Naruto's ear. "Has her period, I could smell it this morning."

Naruto's reaction was not one Kiba was expecting. He had expected a pout, or at least another smack across the head, but Naruto only took another mouthful of ramen. Kiba repeated his sentence, but Naruto only swallowed his ramen and looked at Kiba like he was speaking to a small child.

"Kiba, what me and Hinata do really should be our business," He hurried along slightly, seeing the glare he got from Neji. "But however it may appear to you and your nose, there is more to our relationship than sex. So I don't get to be with her 'that way' on my birthday, big deal. Just as long as I get to be near her. Her company is enough of a gift-"

"Dude, that sounds so lame."

"When you get a girlfriend…or boyfriend," He slipped in casually but continued before Kiba could reply. "That you love as much as I love Hinata, you'll understand. Until then, back off. I'm getting sick of you bringing up the fact that you know when Hinata and I have been 'together'. And Neji, I really don't know what I can do to appease you. But Hinata's happy, shouldn't that be enough?"

"You'd think so, and the thing is I don't reject your relationship with Hinata-sama. You are all she's ever wanted, but still…"

"I promise I'll never hurt her, and I will protect her with everything I am…though she's fully capable of looking after herself."

Neji nodded and as he did, he was hugged from behind by a small woman. After she finished hugging him, she was revealed to be Hinata. She thanked him softly before flushing, having realised she'd acted over-emotionally in public. She moved over to Naruto and buried her head in his chest, melting into his awaiting caress. He kissed her hair.

"How much did you hear?" He asked.

"J-Just the end but…arigato. I love you Naruto-kun."

He pouted, she was in 'the mood'. "Hey, do you wanna see if we can catch a movie? You and me, popcorn and chocolate."

"Hmm…I have been craving chocolate."

He nodded. He knew that. She always did crave chocolate at this time of the month.

"Alright then, see you guys tomorrow." He tossed some coins onto the counter, waving shortly at Teuchi and Ayame. "C'mon 'Nata, let's blow this joint!"

The next morning Naruto woke to soft kisses on his neck. He opened his eyes with a grin as he looked at Hinata. He pulled her into his embrace and laughed happily.

"Best birthday beginning I've ever had. Last year you told me that you didn't care about the Kyuubi, and this year I get woken up with kisses!" He kissed her on the forehead. "Ohayo Hinata, did you sleep well?"

She nodded and hummed in his embrace. "I did Naruto-kun. Happy 19th birthday. Ano…would you like your present first, or breakfast?"

"Let's do breakfast first. Pancakes?" She nodded and tried to get up. "Nah, lets stay here for a little longer." He was silent for a moment. "Who woulda thunk it? Demon child Naruto Uzumaki waking up on his birthday with Hinata Hyuga, Konoha's princess, in his arms!"

"N-Naruto!" She stuttered in surprise. "You're not a demon! You are his jailer, and my saviour! Everyone's saviour!"

"Ah, you flatter me too much." He kissed her. "Hey, you know what I just thought of? You are the only one, out of our group of friends that was born after the Kyuubi attacked. You were born into a world that hated me, so by all reasoning, you should have grown up hating me because it was basically taught to you. But you never did, you are the only one, ever, to not hate me right off the bat! It's like the keys thing, you are the only other person in the world with a key to my apartment, but you are the only one who knocks. You're so…what's the word? Contemporary?"

"Contrary?"

"Yes, you're contrary! And boy, am I lucky you are! And did you know, of all the princesses and rich girls I've met, you are the only one who doesn't have some superiority complex. You are so opposite to everything! You're a ninja, but you're uncommonly kind. Your name means 'towards the sun', but you're like the moon. And you love me, the Kyuubi container!"

"N-Naruto-kun!" She blushed and stuttered at all the compliments. "This…this is supposed to be your day, lets talk about you!"

He thought about it for a moment. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm in love with Hinata Hyuga. It's my birthday and I'm holding her in my arms. I love ramen and she makes the best in the world! I like to talk and for some reason she likes to listen to me. I'm a ninja and I'll use all my skills to look after her for the rest of my life. I have blue eyes, and she loves them despite the fact that she has the most beautiful eyes in the world-"

"N-Naruto, that still sounds like it's about me."

"Naruto Uzumaki doesn't exist without Hinata Hyuga now. He somehow survived 18 years without her, but now that he has her, he's never letting her go."

Hinata hummed blithely. "And she likes that." She wriggled around in his grip. "But now she's going to make the birthday boy breakfast."

The scene Naruto's friends walked into was a humorous one. Naruto and Hinata were in the kitchen covered in flour and pancake batter. The two were laughing happily, attempting to clean the kitchen, but only succeeding in making it messier by flinging ingredients at each other. When a spoonful of batter landed in Neji's hair, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Under he's already flour-whitened face, Naruto paled.

"Ah, g-gomen Neji!" He stuttered.

No one messed with Neji Hyuga's hair.

"I'll let it go only because it's your birthday." He said, and then smiled, shocking the rest of the group.

"Happy birthday Naruto!" Sakura grinned. "Now, you and Hinata go and get cleaned up, and we'll clean the kitchen for you. And no getting distracted!"

Naruto and Hinata left without a fuss, somewhat eager to get out of reach of Neji, despite the fact that the older Hyuga had smiled. In fact, the fact that he'd smiled made it scarier. Like the world was ending.

"At least I made it to 19…" Naruto whispered to Hinata as they got dressed.

Once the 12 were back in the lounge room and everyone and everything was clean, Naruto received his presents. Ramen coupons, rare Hyuga scrolls (curtesy of Neji), green-spandex suit, books, subscriptions and Hinata's gloves (which he promised he'd try out on Kiba the next day).

"Come on, we're taking you to see Tsunade-sama. She wanted to see the birthday boy." Sakura grinned.

Naruto threw himself on his bed much later that day. It was dark outside and the stars were out, though his grin outshone them all.

"That was a great day, I have great friends and a great girlfriend!"

Hinata sat beside him on the bed. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. It was a bit different to last year though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but who needs music and alcohol when I've got such great people around me? And Hinata, arigato for the gloves, I'm going to flatten Kiba tomorrow."

She bent over and kissed him. "I'm glad you liked them."

There was a somewhat awkward silence for a minute, before Naruto sat up and kicked off his shoes. "Well, I guess it's time for bed."

Hinata shifted slightly in her spot, blushing lightly. "Ahh, well…w-we could…" She trailed off, not meeting his gaze.

He flushed too. "H-Hinata, I'd like to, but aren't you…you know…"

In a throwback move to the old Hinata, she poked her index fingers together, blushing a deep red. "H-Hai b-but…I could…c-can…if you w-want…I c-could…p-pleasure you."

He blushed deeper. "Ah, no, you don't have to do that!"

She looked slightly hurt. "Y-You don't w-want me to?"

"I-I do, but…Hinata, I'd never ask you to do 'that' unless I could do something for you in return. It's…it's not fair on you. I'd feel like I was using you."

"But…" She shifted closer to him. "I…I w-want to. A-And, it is your b-birthday…"

When he didn't respond, she took the initiative, pushing him back onto the bed, crawling over him and kissing him firmly. "I…I guess," He said as she pulled away. "I guess I'm going to have to step up for your birthday." He scratched the side of his face distractedly. "And being in town would probably be a good start." His chuckle died in his throat as she shifted down and started undoing his pants.

He thought for a moment about what he could do for her birthday in the coming months, but when Hinata began her ministrations over his body, all thoughts flew from his head.

He didn't think coherently at all for the next hour.